Clip



June 30, 1964 RICHARDSON 3,138,838

CLIP

Original Filed Aug. 18, 1959 52 FIG. 1 e4 64 FIG. 3

FIG. 2

FIG.5'.

DONALD RICHARDSON INVENTOR A] IORNEYB United States Patent 1960, which is a division of application Ser. No. 834,467, Aug. 18, 1959. This application Feb. 18, 1963, Ser.

1 Claim. (Cl. 24--30.5)

This invention relates to novel clip, or fastening device, and is a continuation application of my copending application Serial No. 61,802, filed September 21, 1960, now abandoned the aforesaid application Serial No. 61,802 being a divisional of application Serial No. 834,- 467, filed August 18, 1959 now US. Patent 3,015,824.

For some time it has been recognized that the sealing of food, meat in particular, in impermeable flexible plastic containers from which air has been exhausted, produces a superior product and package. Many apparatus have been devised to effectively seal collapsible plastic containers, such as the machine disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,733,442. This invention in particular relates to clips for use with an improvement over such devices, and specifically relates to clips used with means for controlling the amount of crimping so that a single crimping head may effectively operate upon different size clips without entailing any structural modification. In the past it has always been necessary to employ a different crimping head and crimp feeding track when substituting one size clip for another.

The clips of the present invention used with a crimping head such as disclosed in my United States Patent 3,015,824 eliminates this problem as a single crimping head may be adjusted to accept and crimp any size clips used in closing plastic bags. This invention provides for an active tie between the cam and nest elements of a crimping head. By relating these parts, it is possible to vary the opening of the clipping jaws and nest in a definite relationship to accommodate different sizes of clips.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and useful U-shaped deformable sealing clip employed by the crimping head of the present invention.

These and further objects and advantages will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the appended drawings in which FIG. 1 is a plan view of a clip embodying the features of this invention;

FIGS. 2 to 5 are plan views of the clip of the present invention illustrating the crimping steps.

A preferred embodiment of the adjustable crimping head for use with the clip is disclosed in detail in my United States Patent 3,015,824 and, thus, a detailed description of the same will not be repeated herein. Likewise, the clip feed track or feeding clips of the present invention to the crimping head is disclosed in my United States Patent 3,012,647, issued December 12, 1962, and which was a division of my aforementioned Patent 3,015,824.

The clip 52 of the present invention to be employed with a crimping head (not shown) and a clip feed track (not shown), is best disclosed in FIG. 1. The clip 52 Patented June 30, 1964 comprises a substantially flat base portion 60 having lower arm portions 62 extending upwardly and outwardly at an obtuse angle from its ends. Upper arm portions 64 extend upwardly and inwardly from the upper ends of lower arm portions 62 at substantially a right angle therefrom. The upper arm portions 64 are substantially of the same length as the lower arm portions 62 and have outwardly and upwardly extending portions 66 at their free ends, substantially at a right angle thereto. The base portion 60 is of substantially the same length as the lower arm portions 62 and the upper arm portions 64. It is to be understood that although the overall size of the clip may vary, the relative dimensions of each size clip are approximately the same.

During the operation of the crimping head (not shown), the clip 52 progressively assumes the positions indicated in FIGS. 2 to 5, with the position of FIG. 2 being the first, and that of FIG. 5 being last. With the clip 52 in place in the clip-receiving nest (not shown) of the crimping head, it assumes the position illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 relative to a bag neck 54. As the plunger (not shown) moves toward the clip 52, the crimping portions (not shown) of the crimping head are caused to pivot inwardly.

The upper arm portions 64 of the clip 52 are then bent about the lower arm portions 62 into engagement with the bag neck 54 until the clip has assumed the configuration illustrated in FIG. 4. The arms 62 and 64 of the clip are then collapsed so that it assumes the configuration illustrated in FIG. 5, where positive final engagement with the bag neck 54 is accomplished.

A preferred embodiment of the feed track adapted to accommodate four different size clips of the present invention as heretofore mentioned is shown in detail and claimed in my United States Patent No. 3,012,647.

It is to be understood that the clip track of Patent No. 3,012,647 may be secured to the bag-sealing machine so that the clips carried thereon will pass about the customary clip wheel, separator block, and feed pawls to feed a continuous strip of clips to the clip-receiving nest of the crimping head in the usual manner. Alternatively, the clips may be bulk fed into the crimping apparatus, if desired.

The forward surface of the punch of the crimping head (not shown) may have marking die means thereon so that the pressure of crimping the clip 52 into closed position will transfer the design or lettering to the outer surface of the clip base 60. Such identifying mark is useful for indicating the processing plant, process, machine or operator connected with the product packaged.

The largest size bag recommended for use with each size clip will completely fill the void included by the crimped arms 62 and 64. The smallest size bag recommended for use with each size clip will fill only a portion of the void formed by the crimped arms 62 and 64 as shown in FIGURE 5.

It will thus be seen that there has been provided by this invention, a clip in which the various objects hereinbefore set forth, together with many practical advantages, are successfully achieved. As various possible embodiments may be made of the mechanical features of the above invention, all without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

A one-piece deformable clip fastener for sealing the twisted neck of a flexible bag container comprising: a generally fiat, plate-like base portion having a lower indicia receiving surface; upwardly and outwardly extending generally flat lower arm portions at each end of said base portion and each forming an obtuse angle with respect to said base portion, generally flat upper arm portions extending upwardly and inwardly from the free ends of said respective lower arrn portions and each at substantially a right angle therewith, upwardly and outwardly extending end portions extending from said re- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,832,945 Prentice Nov. 24, 1931 FOREIGN PATENTS 846,604 Great Britain Aug. 31, 1960 

